Comparative Social Network Analysis of Terrorist Organizations Through Hashtag Activism

Yıl 2022, Sayı: 106, 169 - 197, 26.06.2022

Mehmet Seyman Önder

https://doi.org/10.36484/liberal.1025312

Öz

Developments in communication technologies, especially in social media, caused significant changes in the activist approaches of terrorist organizations. While the organizations continued their traditional actions, they carried their de facto activism to the cyber world with hashtag activism.

This study aims to determine what kind of network structure terrorist organizations have, what kind of hashtag activism they create, who are the active individuals in the network and the activism process. In this context, we analyzed Twitter accounts and hashtags of the members and sympathizers of the FETO organization and PKK organization using a social network analysis computer program called NodeXL, and made social network analyzes.

Additionally, hashtag posts were subjected to content analysis to collect supporting data. According to the findings, PKK networks have a more horizontal and intense relationship. Foreign actors are also quite influential within the network, and FETO networks display a more hierarchical, controlled and organized relationship. They also sometimes cooperate in networks, despite having opposing ideological approaches.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Hashtag activism, Social network analysis, Terrorist organizations, FETO, Terrorist organizations and social media, FETO, PKK.

Terör Örgütlerinin Hashtag Aktivizmi Üzerinden Karşılaştırmalı Sosyal Ağ Analizi

Öz

Sosyal medya başta olmak üzere iletişim teknolojilerinde yaşanan gelişmeler terör örgütlerinin aktivist yaklaşımlarında önemli değişikliklere neden olmuştur. Örgütler geleneksel eylemlerini sürdürüyor olsalar da asıl eylemselliklerini hashtag aktivizmi ile siber dünyaya taşımış durumdadırlar.

Bu çalışmada terör örgütlerinin nasıl bir ağ yapısına sahip olduğu, nasıl bir hashtag aktivizmi oluşturdukları, ağ içindeki etkin bireylerin kimler olduğu ve aktivizmin oluşma sürecinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda NodeXL adlı bir sosyal ağ analizi bilgisayar programı kullanılarak FETÖ örgütü ile PKK örgütü üyeleri ve sempatizanlarına ait Twitter hesapları ve hesaplardan açılan hashtaglar incelenmiş ve sosyal ağ analizleri yapılmıştır.

Ayrıca destekleyici veri toplama adına hashtag paylaşımları içerik analizlerine tabi tutulmuştur. PKK ağlarının daha yatay ve yoğun ilişki içinde olduğu, ağ içinde yabancı aktörlerin de oldukça etkili olduğu, FETÖ ağlarının daha hiyerarşik, kontrollü ve organize bir ilişki sergilediği konusunda bulgular elde edilmiştir. Ayrıca, zıt ideolojik yapılara sahip olmalarına rağmen zaman zaman ağlarda işbirliği yaptıklarına yönelik verilere rastlanmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Hashtag aktivizmi, Sosyal ağ analizi, Terör örgütleri, FETÖ, PKK

Kaynakça

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